K’jong threaten to sue govt

Dec 28, 2004

LOCAL leaders and Civil Society Organisations in Karamoja have threatened to sue the Government if it gives away the Pian-Upe wildlife reserve to investors.

LOCAL leaders and Civil Society Organisations in Karamoja have threatened to sue the Government if it gives away the Pian-Upe wildlife reserve to investors, writes Joseph Orisa.

This was resolved at a workshop on the planned commercialisation of the 400sq. km of land in Karamoja at Moroto Chamber hall on December 22.

The resolution comes after President Yoweri Museveni directed that the land in the reserve be given to investors for agro-based enterprises.

The workshop, organised by Riamiriam civil society network, was attended by the local council executives of Moroto and Nakapiripirit districts and Karimojong elders.

The leaders said the Karimojong should get a fair deal from the land, saying most of it should be degazetted and given to the people for agriculture, since it is the only fertile land in the region.

“The Constitution says land belongs to the people and the Government only holds it in public trust. The Karimojong should benefit from this land, otherwise we shall seek legal redress,” read one of the resolutions presented by peter Logiro, a former MP of Bokora county in Moroto.

They recommended hiring lawyers to carry out an in-depth study of the historical possession of land by Karimojong, the subsequent gazetting of it by the colonial government and how to recover all the gazetted land.

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